Beet-topper.



H. GATMULL.

BEE T TOPPER.

APPLIGATION FILED APR.15, 1909.

Witness N Patented Jan.25,1910,

3 SHEBTSSHEET l.

H. GATMULL.

BEET TOPPER.

APPLICATION PILED APR.15,1909.

' 947,222. Patented Jan. 25, 1910.

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H. GATMULL.

BEE-T TOPPER. APPLICATION nun APR.16.1909.

' 947,222. Patefited Jan. 25, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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To all whom it may concern: y Be it known that I, HENRY CATMULL,

citizen of the United States, residing at Rupert, in the county (ifLincoln and {State of Idaho, have inventedficertain I1T"Ell1d usefulImprovementsin Beet-Toppers, of

which the following is a specification, ref' erence being had to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in;

beet topping machines. x

The object of the invention to provide a simple and practical machine orimplement of this character which is drawnover a row of beets and guidedand controlledby anoperator walking behind it, and which will, cut downthe tops of the beets and then cut" them off of the body portions of thebeets,

With the above and other objects in View,

the invention consists of the novel featuresof construction and thecombination and ar-v rangement of parts hereinafter fully :de scribedand claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhi ch.- T

Figure l is a plan VflW otthe improved: beet topper, parts being brokenaway and: in section; Fig. 2 is aside elevation; Figs, 3 and 4 arelongitudinal and transverse sections taken, respectively, on the planesindicated by the lines -3-3and l-4t in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detailhorizontal section taken o' n' the plane indicated; by the line 5+5 'inFig,

3, and showing the stationary horizontal animals and from it drags asled-like body" carrying the beet cutting andtoppingme'cha-nisin. Asillustrated, the truck consists of two longitudinal body bars 1havingtheir converging forward ends united to a draft tongue 2 and atransverse axle; 3 uniting their rear portions and carrying wheels4, 5.-

Connected: to the axle 3 by links 601 other loose or swingingconnections arethe longi tudinal side bars 7 of the sled lika body 190aSerial noeeaoss.

cured" to the bars 7 adjaoent their frontends .are downwardly andrearwardly inclined Specification of Letters-ream." Patented J an. '25,1910. Application filed a n 15, I

Q of the machine, said bars 7 being preferably of angle metal and unitedby intermediate and rear end cross bars or'plates 8, 9. Se-

runner bars 10, which latter are also preferably made of angle metal andhave the "rear ends of their hor'izontal portions suitably ll whichqaresecured to and dependfrom the're'ar; portions of the sidebars 7. The

secured to.the lower ends of upright plates.

runnerslQ slideupon the ground on oppo= site sides of a row of'beets tobe topped and, i i

. are guided upwardly and rearwardly in 'clined handlesnl2 secured tothe intermelsaid bars by means of braces 13.

For the purpose of cutting up the leaves tops from .the body portions ofthe beets; I v providea plurality of longitudinallyea.

diate' portions of the side" bars 7 and supa ported and braced from therear ends. of'] and tops of the beets and then severing the tendingverti cally v disposed knives 1.4,fzind Q from i t stationary horizontalknife 15, The ver tioal knives let aresecfured to and depend,

ersely. curved or hood-like plateld arranged between and secured to Xthe runnerbarslO; i Said plate has its front portion inclined downwardlyandrearwardly, andits rear portion disposed ,sub

sta-ifitigall'y horizontal, as shown in Fig. 2;: The intermediateportion of the plate 16 is its rear end is flat transversely,- shown incurved transversely, asfshown in Fig. 6, and

Fi 7. The vertical'blades 14. have a longltllllllflll curvaturecit-shape corresponding tothat of the plate or hood 16 which carries Ithein an dlthey are parallel with each other from their upperfront endstopoints adja cent to their lower horizontally disposed rear ends, fromwliiichpoints s'aidknivcsflare.

flared outwardly or laterally from opposite sides of the longitudinal.axis of the machine, as indicated at 17 in Figs."l and 7 of thedrawings. Said flared rear ends of the vertical knives are disposed ashortdistanee in advance of the front cutting edge 18 offifl thestationary horizontal-knife or blade 15,"

the cutting edge 18 of which latter is arranged diagonally, as shownmore clearly in Fig. 5 so as to produce a draw cut and therebyeffectively sever the tops of the beets after said tops have beendivided or slicedvertically by the knives or blades 14 Forthe purpose ofpermitting the'be'ets' to .be topped: t'o' agreater or less extent, the

horizontal knife 15 is made vertically ad justable between the side barsor plates 11, preferably by forming in the latter vertical slots 19 toreceive clamping bolts 20 which are arranged in the upwardly bent ends21 of the knife 15. For the purpose of varying the depth of the cutsmade by the vertical knives or blades 14:, filler members 14: may beplaced between said knives and suitably secured. As illustrated, saidfiller members are in the form of slats or strips which are held inposition by bolts 14, as shown more clearly in Fig. 10 of the drawings.It will be understood that these filler members or strips are removableso that others of greater or less thickness may be substituted for themto vary the depth of the cut made by the knives or blades.

For the purpose of keeping the stationary knife 15 clear of the cut topsand leaves of the beets and rendering the operation of this knife moreeffective, I preferably provide a rotary beating and cutting wheel abovesaid knife and drive it from one of the truck wheels. Said rotary beateror knife comprises a horizontal shaft 22 to which are secured circularheads or wheels 23 united by longitudinal bars 24 which may serve eitheras heaters, or cutting knives or as both. As illustrated, said bars 24are of angular shape in cross section and have their upwardly orradially projecting flanges formed with notched or cutting edges 25. Onone end of the shaft 22 is a sprocket pinion 26 which is connected by asprocket chain 27 to a. sprocket wheel 28 fixed to the hub 29 of thewheel 5, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. To permit thebeating or cutting wheel to be adjusted vertically to properly positionthe same above the horizontal knife 15 with which it co-acts, thebearing plates 30 in which the shaft 22 is rotatably mounted, arevertically adjustable on the side bars or plates 11 by means of clampingbolts 33 arranged in the vertical slots 32.

The operation of the invention is as follows: Draft animals pull themachine over a row of beets and the driver of the team walks behind themachine, and, with his hands on the handle bars 12, guides the sled overthe row and applies a downward pressure to the same so that the verticalknives 14 will effectively slice or cut the tops of the beets and theleaves of the same and the horizontal knife 15 will sever the slicedportions of the tops while the rotary beater will. keep the horizontalknife clear of the cut tops and leaves. The slicing of the beet tops bythe vertical knives enables the horizontal knife to more effectively topthe beets and the inclined cutting edge of said horizontal knife insuresthe cutting of the beets even when they grow in very loose soil. Thevertical adjustment of the stationary horizontal knife 15 and the rotarybeater enables the beets to be topped at any desired depth and at auniform depth. A. practical demonstration of my improved beet topper hasproven that it will effectively accomplish its intended purpose.

While I have shown and described in detail the preferred embodiment ofthe invention, it will be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise construction set forth and that various changes in the form,proportion, arrangement and minor details may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. In a beet topping machine, the combination of a body, a horizontallydisposed knife to top the beets and vertically disposed knives arrangedin advance of the horizontal knife for slicing the tops of the beetsbefore they are severed by the horizontal knife.

2. In a beet topping machine, the combination of a body, a horizontallydisposed knife to top the beets, vertically disposed knives arranged inadvance of the horizontal knife for slicing the tops of the beets beforethey are severed by the horizontal knife, and means for removing thesevered tops of the beets from the horizontal knife.

3. In a beet topping machine, the combination of a body, a horizontallydisposed knife to top the beets, vertically disposed knives arranged inadvance of the horizontal knife for slicing the tops of the beets beforethey are severed by the horizontal knife, a rotary beater arranged abovethe horizontal knife to co-act therewith, a wheel truck connected to thebody and means for driving the rotary beater from said truck.

4. In a beet topping machine, the combination of a body, a horizontallydisposed knife to top the beets and vertically disposed knives arrangedin advance of the horizontal knife for slicing the tops of the beetsbefore they are severed by the horizontal knife, said vertical knivesbeing curved longitudinally and having their front ends inclineddownwardly and rearwardly and their rear ends flared laterally fromopposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the machine.

5. In a beet topping machine, the combination of a body, alongitudinally extending hood carried thereby and curved longitudinally,its front end being elevated and inclined downwardly and rearwardly andits rear end being substantially horizontal, vertical cutting bladesdepending from the hood and extending longitudinally and a horizontallydisposed cutting mechanism arranged in rear of the rear ends of saidvertical knives.

6. In a beet topping machine, the combination of a body, a horizontallydisposed knife to top the beets, vertically disposed l eaves; a s

knives arranged'in advanceot the horizontal knife for slicing the topsof the beets before they are severed by the horizontal knife, and

means for adjusting said horizontal knife vertically. I

7. In a beet topping machine, the combination of a Wheeled truck, asled-like body hung loosely from the same and having runners, a handleuponsa d body, adownwardly and rearvvardly inclined hood ar' hungloosely from the same and having runners, a handle upon said body, aClOWIl- \vardly and rearivardly inclined hood ,ar-;

ranged upon said body, vertical knives depending from said hood, ahorizontal knife arranged in rear of said vertical knives, a rotarybeater disposed above the horlzontal knife t'o veo-act, therevvith andmeans for driving-"said rotary beater from the Wheels of the truck.

, ,9." In a beet topping machine the vcomi bination of a wheeled truck,a sle -like' body hung-loosely from the same and having runners, ahandle upon said body, a -down- Wardly sand 'rearwardly inclined hood anranged upon said body, verticalknives depending from said hood, avertically adjustable "horizontal knife arranged in rear of the verticalknives, a vertically adjustable rotary beater disposed above thehorizontal knife and adapted to co-act'therewith and means for drivingsaid-rotary beater froni one of the Wheels of the truck.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature n the presence of twoWitnesses, '1

' HENRY oATMULL.;

Witnesses: A

C. Ill-Toma, N. GOLDFAILE.

